We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly. We support the following browsers:
Windows:Internet Explorer,
Mozilla Firefox,
Google Chrome.
Mac:Safari.

The property was very nice. Had amazing views. There was so much to do there, but we were very disappointed by the rooms. I know we are in the rain forest, but the amount of bug bites and bugs in the room was disgusting. There were tons of spiders in the room and we found a roach in the bathroom behind the toilet (which really flipped me out). Actually had to sleep with a mosquito net on because of all the bugs and found another roach crawling across the shelf in the bedroom in the middle of the night. If I wasn't on a school trip, I would have left the first night. The beds were not comfortable at all and there were some stains on the sheets. We went zip lining on the property which was a ton of fun and the restaurant was really good. We went to a little surfer town 10 mins away which was also cool with some survivor shops and restaurants/bars. The lodge had a very nice gift shop that had very reasonable prices. There was also a pool on property which was nice. If it wasn't for all the bugs and if the rooms were a bit more updated, I would have given a better rating. But we did see a ton of wildlife. We saw sloths, monkeys, and much more. The beach (pacific ocean) was about a 10 minute walk from the lodge.

Room Tip: The rooms by the pool looked a bit newer.

See more room tips

Stayed May 2014, traveled with friends

Value

Location

Sleep Quality

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Was this review helpful?Yes1

Problem with this review?

Ask tara t about Hacienda Baru

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

hdabaru, Manager at Hacienda Baru, responded to this review,
November 4, 2014

Hello Tara,

Firstly I want to thank you for taking the time to advise for your stay at Hacienda Baru. It’s only through feedback such as yours that we are able to maintain and indeed, where necessary, improve upon the service we provide to our valued guests. We sincerly apologize that you found your stay not entirely positive. I have made sure to share your feedback with the team especially with the housekeeping to asure the quality of the towels and bed linen, aswell as the overall cleanness. Mosquitos and ants and other insects are a constant problem in the tropics. We, as an ecolodge, try to use very few pestizides to protect endagered species of insects. We are sorry, that this led to your inconvenience.

Best wishes

Jack Ewing

Report response as inappropriate
Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

We choose for this place because of the area, and we liked it!! The garden was super, we saw that the people really took good care of the garden. In the morning we did a bird watching tour, what we recommend for everybody! The guide knew a lot, hears a lot and let us see a lot. Not only we saw birds, we also saw a sloth (perisoso), a anteater and a cayman.We didn't appreciated all of the workers, some workers were really nice and wanted to let us know a lot of thing (like the guys in the garden) but other workers weren't very hospitable. Of course, nobody could do something about it, but it was very annoying; the mosquitos were all over the place (except the room) and they stole our blood a lot despite our reppelent. The room was very big and beautiful!! Just like the pool.

Stayed May 2014, traveled with friends

Value

Location

Sleep Quality

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Was this review helpful?Yes1

Problem with this review?

Ask Carolien S about Hacienda Baru

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

hdabaru, Manager at Hacienda Baru, responded to this review,
November 5, 2014

Hello Carolien,

thank you very much for your comment and your feedback. We welcome all constructive criticism, as it helps us to get better. Clearly not everybody was performing to our usual standards, and for that I sincerely apologize. I have reviewed your feedback with our staff. We at Hacienda Baru employ almost only locals, who need more education especially in guest attention and service. We are constantly improving and hope that we can exceed your expectations welcoming you back.

Besides that we are happy, that you enjoyed your stay and the birding tour.

Best wishes

Jack Ewing

Report response as inappropriate
Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Having spent 3 weeks in Costa Rica in cabins in various locations, this was by far our worst experience, so much so we left after one day.

The cabin and surrounds were ridden with mosquitoes and to make matters worse we woke up the next morning to find ants crawling all over our belongings.

The bed linen and towels were threadbare with dirty marks. The food was disappointing, we barely ate anything for breakfast.

Stayed May 2014

Was this review helpful?Yes

Problem with this review?

Ask debandjimUk about Hacienda Baru

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

hdabaru, Manager at Hacienda Baru, responded to this review,
October 29, 2014

Thank you for taking the time for your vaulable review. We sincerly apologize that you found your stay disappointing. I have made sure to share your feedback with the team especially with the housekeeping to asure the quality of the towels and bed linen. Mosquitos and ants are a constant problem in the tropics. We, as an ecolodge, try to use very few pestizides. We are very sorry that the ants were able to get on your belongings.

Report response as inappropriate
Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

We stayed here two nights in laye April in a siperior cabin. They were nice and clean, with good beds, no bugs and nice porch. The restaurant has good food, good fruit drinks and very nice staff. They are very helpful and welcoming. The pool is nice and a good size, but it was far to hot. It gave no refreshing at all. And there isno shade around it. You can not swim at the beach so the pool highly disappointed us. There is also no wifi in the cabins, only in the restaurant and close by it. But for nature and animals lovers I highly recommend this place!

Stayed April 2014

Value

Location

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Was this review helpful?Yes2

Problem with this review?

Ask Maria R about Hacienda Baru

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

hdabaru, Manager at Hacienda Baru, responded to this review,
November 6, 2014

Hallo Maria,

Thank you for taking the time to share your valuable review. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay in our beautiful natural Reserve. We know that the pool is getting hot, and are searching for an appropriate solution. Trees are unfortunately not a solution, as the roots would break through the walls of the pool. We hope that we can accomodate you again and reveal the modifications we are advancing.

Best wishes

Jack Ewing

Report response as inappropriate
Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Highly recommend a tour (we did a hiking tour). You don't have to tour to see wildlife here but you'll see more and know where to look later when on your own. Staff were very helpful and spoke enough English. Because of the second bed in the room we had plenty of space. Ceiling fan and open windows were adequate for cooling and sleeping comfortably despite high humidity. The cicadas outside will probably wake you up; we didn't mind since morning was a pleasant time to be out and about. Reasonable prices in the restaurant and great margaritas. The red wine however had possibly been kept too warm for too long.

Stayed March 2014, traveled as a couple

Value

Location

Sleep Quality

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Was this review helpful?Yes

Problem with this review?

Ask Serena D about Hacienda Baru

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

hdabaru, Manager at Hacienda Baru, responded to this review,
November 6, 2014

Hello Serena,

Thank you for your feedback, we are very happy that you enjoyed your stay, especially the hiking tour, because that is exactly what we want for you and our visitors. We will check on the red wine and find a cooler spot to keep it. We hope to see you again soon, probably for a zip-line tour and a nice glass of wine afterwards.

Best wishes

Jack Ewing

Report response as inappropriate
Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

My friend and I recently stayed at Hacienda Baru for 3 days. I could easily have stayed here for at least a week as this was one of my favorite places during our trip. Not only was our cabin very comfortable (it has 2 rooms equipped with a fridge and cofffeemaker in addition to a stove), the trails and grounds were fabulous. We walked along all their trails and saw lots of birds, including toucans, wood rails, blue crowned motmots, orange chinned parakeets, cherries tanagers, and a potoo. We also came across a group of capuchins and watched them for about 30 minutes--such a fun experience! We hired a guide one day and he was extremely knowledgable and pointed out several things we would have missed, including the potoo and sloth. He was one of the better guides during our entire trip.

We ate at the restuarant for all our meals (except breakfast that was brought to us for our guided hike) and the meals were great. The fruit shakes are not to be missed! I'm also happy I waited to buy my souvenirs at the Cacao Monkey gift shop next to the reception. Not only were things hand crafted, but they had a great selection and were very reasonable. I bought several of the painted feathers in frames which made wonderful gifts.

If you're a walker/hiker, take advantage of the PowerAid available in the cooler in the reception area (have to purchase). I found out the hard way that even though I drank lots of water, my salt balance got out of whack from sweating so much and my feet and hands swelled up pretty painfully. Once I drank the PowerAid, things went back to normal. We bought several bottles after that and kept them in the freezer in the room so that they'd still be a bit cold when we put them in our packs during a walk.

All in all, I loved this place and will definitely come back again to take advantage of all the birds and wildlife on their grounds.

Stayed February 2014, traveled with friends

Value

Location

Sleep Quality

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Was this review helpful?Yes2

Problem with this review?

Ask glaciersea about Hacienda Baru

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

hdabaru, Manager at Hacienda Baru, responded to this review,
November 6, 2014

Hello glaciersea,

Thank you for your fantastic remarks, which I have shared with our staff. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed wildlife to the fullest in our National Wildlife Refuge & Lodge. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.

Best wishes

Jack Ewing

Report response as inappropriate
Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

First of all , full disclosure, this fantastic resort is operated by my wife's cousin and her husband, neither of whom she had met until our trip to Costa Rica. This former ranch has been allowed to revert back to its natural state and is now a top notch tourist destination. They have also been instrumental in getting the government to build wildlife corridors under and over the highway which separates the coastal jungle from the higher jungle in the hills. Several times during our visit we saw the monkeys using the overhead bridges to safely cross the highway. They have wildlife cameras set up in the tunnels to monitor the animal traffic which you can see if you go their website.

Many people stay nearby in Domincal and come here for day trips but I would recommend staying here for several days so that you can also enjoy staying in the bungalows, enjoying the pool and grounds as well as the restaurant. We did an overnight in the jungle at their remote camp high up in the primary growth jungle which we really enjoyed. We found a baby sloth that had fallen out of the trees which our guide, Pedro, helped out by putting it back in a tree near to where it's mother was. Pedro was a very good guide and showed us all kinds of birds along the trail to the camp which we would have never spotted on our own.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

hdabaru, Manager at Hacienda Baru, responded to this review,
November 6, 2014

Hello Roy,

thank you for your feedback here on Tripadvisor. We are very pleased that you had an excellent night in the jungle. We transfered your feedback to Pedro, who was very happy about it. We hope to see you soon here in Costa Rica.

Best wishes

Jack Ewing

Report response as inappropriate
Thank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

The lodge is located at the entrance to Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Refuge which protects 330 hectares (815 acres) of tropical forest, wetlands, mangrove and 3 kilometers of pristine Baru Beach. The refuge offers seven kilometers of well marked nature trails and a bird watching tower for a modest entrance fee. Guided tours with sharp-eyed local guides include two different types of canopy tours, five hiking tours, a camping tour and three bird watching tours.
Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Refuge & Lodge is situated on Costa Rica's Southern Pacific Coast. This is a region of distinct natural beauty where forest covered mountains rise up from the dramatic Pacific coastline. The village of Dominical is just 3 km from Hacienda Baru located.
Hacienda Baru Ecolodge's bungalow style cabins are large and roomy. Each one has two bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other with one double and one twin bed. Each bungalow has a bathroom with hot water shower, living room, porch, and kitchenette. For your convenience, they come equipped with fridge, coffee maker, hot plate and fans in all the rooms. They are ideal for families. In addition to the cabins, Hacienda Baru Ecolodge is now offering six new Pool View Guest Rooms. Each of these superior units has a large bathroom, a porch and ample space for beds and other furniture. Each will normally have a king size bed and a twin bed , but they can be equipped with up to four twin beds. Each has a frige and coffee maker as well. The attractive tile roofing is made from recycled plastic bags. A well ventilated design, insulation between the roofing and the polished teak ceiling, and overhead fans all insure cool comfort for our guests. All of the teak and gmelina wood used in the construction came from Hacienda Baru's own plantations. The wood for the pine beams and cypress furniture all came from plantations as well. Not a single piece of the wood used came from a natural forest. Solar heaters provide plenty of hot water for the bathrooms. The outside walls are slate and polished teak. The new guest rooms are conveniently located right in front of our new swimming pool.
Our breezy open air restaurant allows you to observe the gardens and natural surroundings as you dine. We have five private ranchos for guests that want an intimate setting perhaps for a romantic candlelight dinner or a special family meal. Our menu is primarily very tasty typical Costa Rican food, but we do offer a variety of dishes for those who either don't like or want a break from rice and beans. We offer a selection Costa Rican fruit drinks known as FRESCOS meaning refreshing, soft drinks, a selection of Costa Rican beer, you must have heard of Imperial, wines and other licors.
The swimming pool at Hacienda Baru Lodge is disinfected with ozone produced by an ozone generator which injects a constant flow of this eco-friendly gas into the water. This system of disinfection allows us to maintain a very low concentration of chlorine in the pool. The chlorine level is so slight that it is imperceptible to pool users. The swimming pool is open from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Guests from both the cabins and guest rooms are welcome to use the pool during these hours.
Bird Watching, Canopy Exploration and Ecological Tours are our specialty. Our bilingual grass roots naturalist guides will help you discover the wonders of the tropical rainforest, such as leaf cutter ants, the sleepy sloths and the nesting site of the Common Pootoo. On our tours you can experience everything from the Rainforest Canopy to Mangrove Swamps or the Jungle at Night....more less

Also Known As:

Hacienda Baru Hotel Quepos

Hacienda Baru Costa Rica/Dominical

Owners: What's your side of the story?

If you own or manage Hacienda Baru, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.

* TripAdvisor LLC is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site... (more)

We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly. We support the following browsers:
Windows:Internet Explorer,
Mozilla Firefox,
Google Chrome.
Mac:Safari.

TripAdvisor LLC is not responsible for content on external web sites. Taxes, fees not included for deals content.